Madison County Red Raiders

(story reprinted from The Athens Banner Herald, August 30, 2008 edition)

Rockdale County 25, Madison County 14
By Ryan Lavner  |  sports@onlineathens.com  |  Story updated at 12:44 am on 8/30/2008

CONYERS - It was a rather inauspicious start to the season for the new-look Madison County Red Raiders, whose explosive offense and athletic, swarming defense were little more than works in progress Friday night.

Madison County turned the ball over three times and had little success stopping Rockdale County's Wing-T offense in a 25-14 loss at Reid Stadium, leaving the Red Raiders in an early hole in Region 8-AAAA.

"It's devastating, man, that's all I can say," said Madison County tailback Aldreakis Allen, who ran for 96 yards on 16 carries and scored a touchdown.

With the victory, Rockdale County matched its win total from 2007, when the Bulldogs went 1-9, including 1-4 in the region.

"They weren't very good last year," Madison County coach Randell Owens said, "but we weren't playing last year's team."

No, they were not, and that was apparent from the onset.

Rockdale County scored on its opening drive, relentlessly pushing Madison County's defensive line backward and fooling the inexperienced linebacking corps with misdirection plays.

David Calloway rushed for 63 yards and two touchdowns, and Javon Lucus had 106 yards on 14 carries for Rockdale County, which had 273 yards of total offense. That alone was a stark contrast to last year's team, Owens said.

"They could run, but they weren't doing it in a choreographed effort, with everybody running in the same direction," he said.

As a result, Madison County had to alter its gameplan when it had the ball, shifting from a quick-strike offense to one that needed to prolong drives and keep its defense on the bench.

The results were mixed - at best.

The Red Raiders ran just 14 plays and totaled 101 yards in the first half, most of which came on a 54-yard run by quarterback Jacob Owens and Allens' 26-yard touchdown run with 1:20 remaining in the second quarter. After that score, Rockdale County quickly countered with a 52-yard touchdown pass in which a streaking Ryan Culbreath beat man-to-man coverage down the left sideline.

"They've got some athletes, man," Allen said. "They're coming out hard and they've got a coach who's putting it in their heads that they can win."

After trailing 18-6 at halftime, Madison County went on an 18-play, 86-yard drive that took eight minutes and was capped by a 6-yard touchdown run by junior Kendrick Butler. Aided by a roughing-the-kicker penalty, Rockdale County extinguished that momentum with a 19-play scoring drive that pushed its lead to 11.

"As a senior, it's frustrating for me, and it's frustrating for the team," Allen said. "I put this team on my shoulders and I've got to do whatever I can to help them win. We've just got to keep working hard."

Stacy Mack caught a 76-yard touchdown pass that could have cut the Red Raiders' deficit to three with 41/2 minutes left, but the play was nullified by a block-in-the-back penalty.

Jacob Owens, making his first varsity start, threw an interception on the next play. He rushed for 71 yards on five carries, but was 0-for-4 passing with two sacks and a turnover.

GAME REPORT

• Turning point: After Madison County opened the second half with a 18-play, 86-yard scoring drive, Rockdale County immediately responded with a lengthy drive and touchdown run by David Calloway that pushed its lead to 11 points.

• Key Stat: Rockdale County tailbacks Javon Lucus and David Calloway combined to rush for 169 yards on 34 carries, leading an overpowering rushing attack.

• Impact: Madison County begins the season in an early hole in Region 8-AAAA, one of the most competitive in Northeast Georgia. The defense's inability to stop the run will need to be addressed before Friday, when the Red Raiders host Winder-Barrow.

Originally published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Saturday, August 30, 2008